The majestic country of France is the ancestral homeland to the prominent surname Berttrant. The surname Berttrant is derived from the personal name of an ancestor, making this a patronymic surname, which belongs to the larger category of hereditary surnames. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin. In some cases the exact same name appears in many other European countries. The given name Bertrand is derived from the Old German name Berhthramn, which meant "bright raven." This was a popular name due to the raven's symbolic which means as "one who defeats his enemies."

Early Origins of the Berttrant family

The surname Berttrant was first found in Provence, where one of the first records of the name was William Bertrand (died 1094), known as William V or Bertrand I or II, count and margrave of Provence from 1051 to his death.

Early History of the Berttrant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berttrant research.Another 371 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1378, 1510, 1535, 1581, 1600, 1696, and 1703 are included under the topic Early Berttrant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Early Notables of the Berttrant family (pre 1700)

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Berttrant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Berttrant family to the New World and Oceana

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jacques Bertrand, aged 40; settled in Louisiana in 1719; M. Bertrand, aged 23; settled in New Orleans in 1823; J. Bertrand, aged 20; settled in New York in 1823.